STORY
You could start with the period during the 1920s colonialization in Southeast Asia. Thailand became a safe house for Ho Chi Minh and for many Vietnamese activists before the August Revolution. But migration of Vietnamese to Thailand is not recent. Thailand has accommodated Vietnamese fleeing violence, political upheavals and religious oppression for over 350 years. Some of them were able to be integrated into Thai society, others managed to return to their motherland and many rebuilt their lives in a third country. However, the time when Ho Chi Minh had been in Thailand between 1928-1929 could be stressed as a deep impression that strengthen the relationships between Thailand and the Vietnamese community. You can find the Vietnamese community in different parts of Thailand, especially the Northeastern region where Vietnamese cuisine is popularly served within the local Thai community.
WHAT BRINGS THAILAND AND VIETNAM TOGETHER?
THAI AND VIETNAMESE CUISINE, “SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT” way
Thai and Vietnamese cuisine share similar ingredients using rice, noodles, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and fresh herbs such as cilantro and basil. Yet, Thai food has strong flavors due to the use of more spices including a lot of spicy chili peppers and it contains a lot of coconut milk in curries. Vietnamese food is softer and milder as it uses hot peppers on occasion usually as toppings. Vietnamese food also has a French influence from added ingredients such as potatoes, asparagus, baguettes, and pate while popularized Vietnamese food has influence from Chinese, Cambodian, and Thai cuisines as well.
When it comes to vegetables, the Vietnamese also consume raw herbs and leaf vegetables as a main course while the Thais mostly stir fry, boil, fry them.
FAST EATING BUT SLOW DRINKINGS - IS THIS THE PLACE FOR YOU?
In Southeast Asia including Thailand where the weather is relatively hot and human throughout the year, locals tend to enjoy street food where they are served with delicious dishes that do not take long time to prepare. With foldable picnic tables and stools placed temporarily, people order what they want, sit, and eat quickly as the new customers are queuing after the former ones. During the night time, a lot of street food kiosks offer cold beers accompanied by ice for customers to sit longer. This is our contemporary eating culture and lifestyle that shows the Thais eat out a lot since cooking at home for 1 person or 2 could cost more money on groceries.
Back to a big city life in Bangkok, office workers and Bangkokians have another lifestyle to dine out and drink alcohols like the Japanese who stop by Izakaya with their colleagues after work. However, the Thais can probably not compete with the Japanese who are well-known as heavy drinkers. The Thais (both males and females) tend to drink more alcohols while being with closed ones. On the contrary, the Japanese join nomikai, which translates to drinking parties among business partners, colleagues and bosses as a social event to bond and build stronger relationships.
Above all, vibes of night life whether at Thailand’s street food kiosks or in Izakayas are what we would like to see in our Potayski. It is the joy for us to serve both food and beverages to our guests who come with their friends, colleagues or family members. And please do not get us wrong!, Potayski is still a place for single individuals who prefer spending time alone too.
Potayski: OUR SECOND THAI CORNER
Potayski: Friends & Izakaya is intended to be a tiny vibrant hidden corner where the authentic flavors of Thai street fast food meet the exquisite nuances of Vietnamese cuisine in a relaxing and informal atmosphere.
Our cafe is the second project after the first project entitled “Kamin Thai Massage Boutique” was established as a massage salon on 147 Moskovskaya crossing Isanova (in the same building as Vanilla Sky cafe). We would like both projects to be small Thai corners where you can experience Thailand’s authenticities in the city center of Bishkek.
At Potayski: Friends & Izakaya, we offer a wide variety of dishes ranging from fast-served Pad Thai and stir-fried chicken with Thai basils (Pad Kra Pao) to fragrant bowls of Pho Bo, Tom Yum and Tom Kha. Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly rolls from rice wrappers, curries, and many more are served to meet different preferences of all the guests.
OUR CHEF: WIROT PUSIRIRUNGROT
Chef Wirot Purisirirungrot leads our kitchen team with a very challenging aim to make our Thai and Vietnamese cuisine acquaintable, affordable, and accessible for Bishkek residents, expats as well as seasonal travellers who have and have not tried Thai and Vietnamese food before.
As growing up in Northeastern Thailand, Chef Wirot also enjoys the influence of Vietnamese food from the Vietnamese communities residing in several provinces in the Northeastern region. This allows him to present a few Vietnamese dishes based on his direct experience back in Thailand.
His signature dishes include Tom Yum as he leads our local kitchen staff to make our own Thai chili paste to be used in Tom Yum and Salad with Fried Chicken; Red curry, Green Curry, Kao Soi (ข้าวซอย), all types of spicy sour salads whose salad dressings are also made daily by him and his team.
With several years of experience in Thai restaurants in both Thailand and South Asian countries, he has been using several local ingredients and available food supply to make sure each of them can be parts of our authentic dishes and still remain affordable for all since he started supervising our kitchen team in Bishkek.